Dear Families,
The seasons are definitely changing. It is surely cold and we've even had our first snow this week! The first snow is always a magical time for kids at Willow. As I'm sure you also see at home, our kids can't wait to go outside when we have snow on the ground and they have so much fun together. It's important that our students know we can play in the snow (with appropriate gear), but we never throw snow or ice, such as snowball fights, at school. With the large groups of children we are supervising, throwing snow/ice quickly gets out of hand and kids can get hurt. We appreciate you distinguishing this for your children at home when you are enjoying snow time together. Clearly, we know small groups can have playful snow throwing, and this can be confusing for kids to learn the difference between what we can do at home and safety rules in a school setting. We work to teach this to our students and can always benefit from your reinforcement at home. Thank you for your support!
With next week being such a short week, we will not have another principal message. We will resume the scheduled messages on December 2nd. Wishing you and your family a wonderful time with your family enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday.
Sincerely,
Jenny Smith, Principal
*November/December Dates to Know*
11/23 – NO SCHOOL - District Holiday
11/24 – NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Day
11/25 – NO SCHOOL - District Holiday
11/29 – EARLY RELEASE DAY
12/13 – EARLY RELEASE DAY
12/22 – Last day of school before Winter Break begins. SCHOOL CLOSED for Winter Break Dec. 23–Jan. 6
*EVENT DATE REMINDER*
12/8 - Willow Grove Window to the World Cultural Fair - 6-7:30 PM
NEW *Report Cards*
Trimester 1 report cards will be available online after 3 PM on Friday 11/18 for students in Early Childhood through 8th Grade.
See instructions to access the report cards online CLICK HERE.
Please contact the SCHOOL OFFICE with questions.
NEW *MAP TESTING - Kindergarten Only*
All students in grades K-8 will be participating in NWEA MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) assessment. The MAP assessment is a normed-referenced, computerized adaptive test that helps teachers, parents, and administrators improve learning for all students and make informed decisions to promote a child's academic growth. Like in previous years, all students will be taking the MAP test in reading and math during the school day. Testing will take place on December 5th and December 6th.
NEW *OUTDOOR TIME DURING THE WINTER*
For students to play in the snow, they must have snow pants, boots, gloves and jacket. This applies to both the field and the playground area. This ensures that their clothes, hands and feet are dry for lunch and the remainder of the afternoon. Students who do not have snow pants and boots can still play on the blacktop area. If you would like, your child can keep an extra set of snow gear at Willow Grove to avoid the back-and-forth between home and school. Have kids bring it to Willow Grove in a tote to leave in their cubby.
NEW *PTO News*
REMINDER CLASS PARTIES
Thank you to everyone who volunteered to help out and make our class Halloween parties a success! If you have any photos from your child's class party or the parade, please send us the largest, highest-quality image you have for consideration in the 2022-2023 yearbook!
REMINDER ORIGINAL WORKS
This is a great opportunity to put your student's artwork on gifts for loved ones. The ordering deadline is November 22nd!
DONATE WHILE YOU DINE
Please save the date! Our next fundraiser is on November 29th, at MOD Pizza in Kildeer. A portion of the purchases made by mentioning our fundraiser will benefit our school.
REMINDER TO CONNECT WITH THE PTO
Remember to check the Willow Grove PTO online at the links below for the latest PTO news and events.
Willow Grove PTO Membership Toolkit
REPEAT *Willow Grove ~ Window to the World Cultural Fair Update*
We have great news! Based on the number of volunteers, we are able to proceed with planning for our Window to the World Cultural Fair. Thank you to those of you who volunteered! We will share information shortly via email that will guide and support you to prepare for the evening.
This is a reminder to all to save the date of December 8th from 6-7:30 PM. This will be a night to remember. Families are encouraged to wear clothing that represents their culture. For some this may mean special, customary garments, while for others it means dressing up to make it a special night. This isn't required. It just adds to the fun. Any attire is welcome!